What Comes After the Rocket’s Red Glare?

By:  Stephanie Benney

It is around this time of the year every summer, that people gear up for a good old-fashioned American long weekend to celebrate the independence of our great country, the United States of America.  The scent of many hotdogs and hamburgers will be perfuming the warm July air, tickling the sounds of children’s laughter and outbursts of excitement.  Boaters and party goers alike will be hitting the water to get in their jet-skiing and water antics before the sun begins to set and the radiant explosions of color commence.

Like many others, some of my fondest childhood memories come from my “Fourth of July Files”.  Nothing says freedom like running through your neighborhood with a sparkler in each hand, writing your name with the flames in the backdrop of the night sky as your canvas.  Ahhh…the good old days – pigtails, push-up pops and Pittsburgh.

Not to be a “Debbie Downer”, but unfortunately, along with the incredible light show fireworks and sparklers produce, comes the not-so-incredible health and environmental risk factors.  I will be honest when I say that before I began my research, I never gave much thought to the danger of fireworks past the safety angle.

Surprisingly enough( I thought perhaps we would have come up with something less archaic ), the base ingredient of fireworks is gunpowder, which is a blend of sulfur fuel, charcoal and potassium nitrate.  The potassium nitrate however, at times replaced by perchlorates combined with oxygen speeds up the burning process of the sulfur fuel and charcoal, causing the explosion of the firework.

Perchlorates have been linked to hypothyroidism in humans.  The exposure limits humans’ intake of iodine from the bloodstream.  Perchlorates also affect our eco-system, by lingering in our water systems.  Studies done in Oklahoma and Massachusetts found elevated levels of perchlorates in lakes where fireworks had been shot off nearby.  This also endangers our marine life.

Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes all of the different colors in fireworks?  There are various metallic compounds packed with toxins that cause the beautiful hues we “Ooh and Ahh” over.  Mother Nature Network has broken it down for us to easily understand.

Strontium(red): Can be radioactive and can move deep into soil and groundwater.  Strontium has a half-life of 29 years.  Radioactive strontium can damage bone marrow, cause anemia and prevent blood from clotting correctly.

Aluminum(white): Can affect the brain and lungs in higher concentrations.

Copper(blue): Copper jump-starts the formation of dioxins when perchlorates in the fireworks burn.  Dioxins only exist as byproducts of chemical reactions.  The most noted effect of dioxin exposure is chloracne, a serve skin disease, which produces acne-like lesions to the face and upper body.  The World Health Organization has identified it as a human carcinogen, and it has been shown to disrupt hormone production and glucose metabolism.

Barium(green): Can cause gastrointestinal problems and muscular weakness when exposure exceeds EPA drinking water standards.

Rubidium(purple): can cause skin irritation and is moderately toxic when ingested.

Cadmium(various): Long-term exposure can lead to kidney disease, lung damage and fragile bones.

Alternatives to perchlorates are now in the works and all-together alternatives to fireworks, such as light and laser shows are becoming more and more, great ways to skip all of the nasty side effects of fireworks.  Regardless of what you plan, I wish you all a safe and enjoyable Independence Day!

Stephanie Benney is a “Sustainable Visionary” and also the new Pittsburgh Representative for Fuzed Marketing, where she helps companies increase their brand presence. stephaniebenney@yahoo.com